Jaywalking in AP—a popular local sport. April 2015. Blogfinger photo.
Did you ever notice the suicidal jaywalkers on Main Street in Asbury Park? If we had an Olympic jaywalking team, we could outfit the squad over there and go for the gold.
In 2012, 165 pedestrians were killed in New Jersey, and, on average, only one jaywalking ticket is issued for each town in the Garden State, home of the color blind.
At least they have crossing guards on Main Street for the school kids, but it’s the adults that risk their lives for what? Many of those offenders cross on the red over by the bus/train station crossing where, I guess, they are all trying to get out of town.
I go by there everyday, and if jaywalking is against the law, then AP is Dodge City. Let’s enforce the law and reduce the risks to walkers and drivers, especially Grovers who need to be safe when we cross at Meat ‘n More.
That number seemed awfully high to me, so I looked it up.
According to NHTSA, New Jersey had a total of 542 traffic fatalities in 2013 (most recent year I could find).
129 of those fatalities, or 23.8%, were pedestrians.
I know you hate links but here it is anyway. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812124.pdf
IIHS breaks the NJ fatalities down some more. 238 car occupants, 82 pickup and SUV occupants, 55 motorcyclists and 14 bicyclists were killed in New Jersey in 2013. It reports the same number of pedestrian fatalities, 129.
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/general-statistics/fatalityfacts/state-by-state-overview
I’ve been watchful for jaywakers in Asbury Park and Neptune Township for years.
It’s not only pedestrians. Even though the “Stop for Pedestrian” signs are back out in OG, I don’t feel very confident that drivers are going to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, particularly when the vehicles sport out-of-state license plates.
Editor’s note: Thanks Bob. My number was wrong and it has been corrected. I found 165 pedestrian deaths in NJ for 2012. —Paul